USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation Opens Doors to a First-of-Its-Kind Graduate Program, Design@USC

LOS ANGELES, March 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Southern California Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation announced today it is now accepting applications for its first graduate program, Design@USC, an online Master of Science in Integrated Design, Business and Technology.

"This program is designed to address the changing needs of graduates and professionals, and the dramatically changing landscape in the fields and disciplines in which they work," said Erica Muhl, dean of the USC Roski School of Art and Design and founding executive director of the USC Iovine and Young Academy for Arts, Technology, and the Business of Innovation. "At its core is a unique blend of disciplines that represent 'new literacies' for the 21^st century, and an educational experience that will take students beyond the boundaries of a single field, and into a powerful space where the application of design principles serve as a universal framework for high-level problem solving."

The integrative cross-disciplinary degree program offers coursework designed by a collaborative team of world-class faculty drawn from the USC Iovine and Young Academy, the USC Roski School of Art and Design, the USC Marshall School of Business, the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, and other USC schools and academic programs. Instructors will work with and guide teams focused on developing solutions to complex design, business and technological challenges. Students will learn to identify opportunities, generate new ideas, and complete individual and collaborative projects that reflect diverse perspectives.

The program is designed for students and professionals who may be established in technical, business, artistic or other fields, but can benefit from a deeper understanding of the unique possibilities found where disciplines intersect. The program will create leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to shape and build today's evolving creative economy.

The new degree requires 38 credits and can be completed within 18 to 24 months. The curriculum includes a combination of core courses that blend multiple disciplinary topics and approaches; design, business and technology essentials; residential studio sessions; integrative projects and a capstone project. Design@USC students will:

• Participate in residential studio sessions, including one on the USC campus at the Academy's Garage, a state-of-the-art incubator/accelerator that fosters creativity and encourages collaboration. Beginning in Summer 2019, students will work in the Academy's new maker spaces, design and media studios, and innovation labs located in the Academy's beautiful new home, Iovine and Young (IY) Hall. Every aspect of IY Hall is geared toward supporting advanced design, ideating, and making. During these on-the-ground sessions, students work closely with faculty and leading industry mentors to see their ideas come to life.
• Through integrative projects, apply creative problem-solving to take ideas from concept to completion. Students also learn to market and position their ideas for success, from attracting talent to executing solutions within groups, to early-, middle- and late-stage prototyping, to funding and development.
• Through directed research, craft a customized, advanced portfolio that aligns with personal interests and strengths.
• Complete their degree with an applied, capstone project in which students consolidate and refine their best work, and bring to fruition a plan for the future.

The first application deadline is July 10, 2017, with additional applications accepted on a rolling basis. Classes begin August 2017. For more information about Design@USC, visit design.usc.edu or contact an admissions counselor at 855-376-2505 or [email protected].

Design@USC is delivered in partnership with 2U, Inc. (NASDAQ: TWOU), which partners with leading nonprofit colleges and universities to deliver their high-quality programs online.

About USC Iovine and Young Academy
Founded with a visionary gift from entrepreneurs Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young, the USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation is an academy designed to teach critical thinking and nurture unbridled creativity at the intersection of three essential areas: art and design; engineering and computer science; and business and venture management.

Conceived as a collaborative environment that brings students, instructors and professional mentors together, the Academy is a transformational presence on one of the nation's most dynamic university campuses. The focus of the program's course of study is on creativity and critical thinking. It draws on the talents and influence of faculty and leaders from multiple disciplines and industries to empower the next generation of disruptors and professional thought leaders who will ply their skills in a global arena. To learn more, go to iovine-young.usc.edu.

About 2U, Inc. (NASDAQ:TWOU)
2U partners with great colleges and universities to build what we believe is the world's best online education. Our platform provides a comprehensive fusion of technology, services and data architecture to transform our clients, historically campus-based universities of the highest quality and rigor, into digital universities. To learn more, visit 2U.com.

Media Contacts:
Ellen Evaristo, USC
[email protected]
213-821-6953 

Shirley Chow, 2U
[email protected] 
858-336-0358

SOURCE 2U, Inc.; USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation

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